Lionel Messi has officially retired from international football, bringing the curtain down on one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the game.The 39-year-old Argentina captain announced his decision on Monday in an emotional statement posted to Instagram, weeks after Argentina lost 1-0 to Spain in extra time in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.Messi said he had initially written the farewell message shortly after the World Cup final but that the recent death of his father, Jorge Messi, further confirmed his decision to step away from the national team.The defeat to Spain on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey ended Argentina's hopes of successfully defending the World Cup title it won in 2022. Spain's Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in the 106th minute.Messi, who made his Argentina senior debut in 2005, leaves international football as the country's most-capped player and its all-time leading goalscorer.He finished his Argentina career with 207 appearances and 125 goals.His international honours include the 2022 FIFA World Cup, two Copa América titles in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 Finalissima.The 2026 tournament was Messi's sixth World Cup appearance, having also represented Argentina at the 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022 tournaments.His international journey was marked by both extraordinary success and periods of disappointment. After losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and suffering further setbacks in major tournaments, Messi eventually led Argentina to Copa América glory in 2021 and the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.He also helped Argentina retain the Copa América in 2024.In his farewell message, Messi said he had given everything he could to the national team and believed it was time to make way for a new generation.His decision ends a 21-year international career during which he became the defining figure of Argentine football and one of the most decorated players in the sport's history.Messi is not retiring from football altogether. He will continue his club career with Inter Miami, where he remains a major figure in Major League Soccer. He scored four goals and provided an assist in Miami's 7-1 victory over CF Montréal on Sunday, taking his MLS tally for the season to 18 goals.